Expert Writer
May 12, 2025
In the constantly changing world of mobile marketing, in-app notifications are critical for increasing user engagement and retention. Contextual messaging directly into your app’s UI at the right moment ensures you engage with the right content.
What are in-app notifications? In-app notifications (also called in-app messages or in-app alerts) are messages displayed to people while they are using an app. Contrary to push messages, which can be displayed on a device’s lock screen or notification tray regardless of whether the app is open, in-app notifications can only be accessed from within the app’s user interface. They might look different: like banners, pop-up messages, modals, or tooltips.
In-app notifications have several uses. They could announce new features, help with an onboarding process, or promote a certain feature or action (like checking out a sale or updating your profile). As they are initiated within an application, in-app messages often display contextually and can be personalized based on user actions or segmentation defined within a mobile marketing platform.
While in-app and push notifications are both important components of an app’s engagement strategy, the two vary in timing, opt-in process, and, more importantly, overall purpose. Below, we untangle these differences into three primary areas.
In-app messaging and push notifications provide numerous advantages that greatly aid an app's growth and performance. They are critical to user engagement, new user onboarding, and stimulating active users to take necessary in-app actions.
All app developers and marketers desire one thing: high app engagement. In-app messages and notifications can help spike engagement with timely prompts that lead users in the right direction. For example, you can inform users about a loyalty program as soon as it launches or prompt them to engage with a new feature once it’s live. These contextual nudges help users focus on interacting with the app and ensure a dynamic and interactive app experience.
Properly organized onboarding is the key to retention. You should help users understand how to derive value from your product. Most users will abandon an app if it’s unclear how the product can benefit them or if they don’t know how to use it. In-app notifications can be a great companion — in-app onboarding messages can be triggered after a specific user action or when they access a new page. For instance, a tooltip could guide users to a key button's function, or a modal overlay could guide newcomers through first-time workflow steps. The guided experience makes sure that new users pick up your product quickly.
Even experienced users sometimes need a timely prompt to learn about new features or advanced capabilities. You can send in-app notifications to publicize special deals, share pertinent news, or guide people to fill in the areas of their profiles they leave blank. This forward-moving advice allows them to receive an ongoing benefit and deepen their loyalty. And they’re, in turn, more likely to stick and less likely to churn.
In-app notifications don’t all look and act the same. Below are the most popular types you could incorporate into your overall mobile app messaging strategy, along with typical examples of use.
An overlay fills the screen and highlights a specific message or CTA. If you want to ensure your users read something important, like breaking news, a short-term promotion, or an emergency product update, overlays can be handy. But overlays become annoying if overdone. Apply them rarely for the most significant benefit.
Pop-ups appear in the middle or lower part of the screen. They usually are short and contain a clear CTA (such as “View Sale” or “Try This Feature Now”). Pop-ups require user attention, so they are an effective means of engagement. But they ought to be plausible and easy to remove. Frustrating pop-ups could only alienate users.
Like pop-ups, modals typically have more details and require the user to click something to dismiss them (e.g., a button “Okay” or “Cancel”). This format is suitable for confirmations, tutorials, and multi-step onboarding guides. Modals ensure the message is received by locking down user activity until they react somehow.
Tooltips are small text bubbles that provide further information about an element when you hover over or tap on it. They serve as short introductions or help for a specific function, button, or icon. Tooltips are great for onboarding or introducing new features since they clean your app UI and offer just-in-time help.
Banners are notifications that slide in from the top or bottom of the screen and do not take much space. They're also less intrusive than modals or popups. Apps can use banners for alerts, such as updates and scheduled maintenance, or to promote a special campaign without user flow interruption. Banners balance visibility and user control because they do not demand an immediate reaction.
Follow the best practices below for developing and implementing your messages to ensure your in-app notifications increase user engagement rather than drive users away.
Get the timing right: Send notifications based on your user’s actions or the most important events. For example, if a user has just made a purchase, you may want to show a thank-you message with the 'Continue Shopping' CTA.
But don’t overwhelm. Too many in-app alerts can frustrate users. Space out notifications and limit the number that can appear in a session.
Leverage your mobile marketing platform to categorize users by age, browsing activity, or interests. Personalized in-app notifications are more likely to encourage interaction. So, if you can, add a personalized touch – the user’s name or product recommendations based on who they are. This type of user experience is more customized.
You’ll lose your readers if you write long texts. Go with short messages that have prominent CTAs. Reiterate important messaging and put your CTA in an easy-to-tap location. Create notifications in a way that they relate to your app's overall UX/UI experience and don’t seem like an external add-on.
Test a variety of copy, design elements, and triggers to determine what in-app notifications get the best results. A/B testing can be used to determine the most successful clawback strategy. User behavior changes and updates are necessary to maintain your in-app alert strategy. Track the numbers and collect responses to sustain users’ engagement.
Some popular apps use in-app notifications to engage users and motivate them to take action. Watching real-life scenarios can inspire your in-app messaging strategy.
Netflix is great at suggesting things to watch to keep you streaming. For instance, when a user completes watching a series, Netflix might show a pop-up message recommending another like it or a new movie released. That prompt is on time, it’s personalized, and it’s additive because it saves us the trouble of having to look out for new content. It has a minimalistic design, with only a short blurb and intriguing artwork to appeal to users. It has a nice visual element, but is also easily avoided for those who want to browse independently.
With Duolingo, many of its decisions regarding in-app notifications stem from engagement and gamification. For example, immediately after a user finishes a language lesson, a banner could pop up to congratulate users and emphasize their streak. Another in-app alert suggests users get a bonus skill. These motivational messages inspire users to continue learning and keep their progress going.
Productivity platform Trello leverages in-app notifications to encourage users to explore more advanced board functionality. When Trello rolls out a new feature, such as a calendar view or an automation rule, it may display a pop-up or banner on the board to announce it. They get straight to the point, describing the benefit (e.g., “Easily manage deadlines with our new calendar!”) and have a strong and clear CTA (“Try Calendar Now”). This makes users more informed about how to use the product to streamline their work, resulting in increased satisfaction and stickiness to the platform.
Whereas in-app notifications can effectively increase retention and conversions, striking the right balance is essential to preserve the user experience. Here’s what to know:
By prioritizing user experience, in-app notifications become a meeting point for the user's goals and what your app has to offer instead of a disruption.
In-app notifications are convenient and versatile, and they let you talk to your users within the context of their app use. When we compare them to push notifications, it’s easy to see that timing, opt-in, and purpose differentiate the two channels. In-app messages are fantastic for getting users to dive deeper, succeed in onboarding, and nudge them to discover new features.
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